Goodbye Dove Valley, Hello Bye Week

With a four-day break from practice coming up, the Broncos are taking some time to rest.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The conclusion of practice Wednesday at the Broncos’ training facility at Dove Valley marks the beginning of the bye-week break for the Broncos players and coaches.

The next practice for the team will be Monday as they begin preparation for the Week 10 divisional matchup with the San Diego Chargers.

Head Coach John Fox said Wednesday that he told the players to “make good decisions” during the break.

“I don’t want to read about you unless you win the lottery,” Fox said Wednesday. “It doesn’t need to be Spring Break 2005 or Hangover 4. I think our guys understand this is a time to get rested mentally and physically and come back ready to work.”

Each player has their own strategy for how to use the bye week. Some players will stay close to home, relax and recharge their batteries for the second half of the season. Others will take the weekend to go back to their home states or college to see some friends and family.

Tight end Jacob Tamme said that he was planning on going back to Kentucky for a few days and coming back to Denver on Sunday – hampering his ability to watch the NFL action.

“You’re always kind of keeping up with the guys in our division,” Tamme said Tuesday. “So yeah, I’ll keep up with that and watch a little bit but we’ll be travelling back on Sunday so we won’t be able to watch much of it. Get back in on Monday and get back to work.”

Rookie running back Montee Ball said Wednesday that he plans on going back to Wisconsin to see some of his college teammates and defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said he was planning on seeing his mother in Florida.

“In this league, after eight weeks, most people are kind of banged up,” defensive end Shaun Phillips said. “So it’s good to get away, get a little rest, take your mind off of football, try to clear completely so that you can come back for the long stretch of football that we’re going to have.”

Safety Rahim Moore said that he was “looking forward to this bye week” on Monday and was ready to take things one day at a time. He added that “you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself” in regards to thinking about the Broncos’ upcoming schedule.

After the bye week, the Broncos head to San Diego and then play the Chiefs, the Patriots and the Chiefs again – three teams with a combined record of 18-5 through the first eight weeks of the season.

Just because the Broncos don’t play again until Nov. 3 doesn’t mean that some of the players aren’t starting the preparation process.

“I kind of like to get away – just let my mind just rest for a while – but I’ll definitely always continue to watch film,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “That’s just something that I always do. Physically, just really rest because we have a tough stretch at the end and I just want to make sure I’m at my best for the rest of the season.”

Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson echoed those thoughts saying that the bye week is a great time to rest but he won’t be resting his mind.

“You still want to work your mind and think football. But sometimes, man, you might need to get a couple of days, just to relax, to yourself. I’m going to watch a little bit, but I’m not going to study as much. I’ll start picking my preparation back up on Friday or Saturday, something like that.